KR20230159316A - Container lid - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and method for container coverings suitable for use in the reliable automated handling and transport of lamellar carriers used for transmission electron microscopy samples or similar light or thin objects are disclosed. The lid is for use with a container having one or more cavities accessible through the top surface of the container. The lid may include a rigid member having a planar surface. Attached to the rigid member are first means for limiting the movement of the planar surface to a movement of one degree of freedom over the upper surface, and second means for limiting within the cavity the movement of the lamellar carrier contained within the cavity.

Description

Container Lid {CONTAINER LID}

Transport of lamellar carriers requires containers and methods to securely hold the lamellar carriers without damage or loss. Conventional containers are comprised of compartments that do not adequately restrict the movement of the lamellar carriers within their compartments. For example, the lamellar carrier may be adhered to the lid of the container and secured between the container and the lid. These and other problems make conventional containers not very suitable for automation. Manually installing and removing the lid of a conventional container can also cause the lamellar carrier to fall off or be ejected from the container. Accordingly, there is a need for improved container lids to provide reliable and automatable transport and handling of thin or lightweight objects such as lamellar carriers.

Briefly, the disclosed technology provides a vessel cover for the deposition, transport, and extraction of safe and rigid lamellar carriers to and from vessels. The disclosed technology also enables an automated workflow for handling lamellar carriers using containers with the disclosed lids.

In a first aspect, the disclosed technology can be implemented with a lid to cover at least one cavity accessible through the upper surface of the container. The lid may include a rigid member having a planar surface. Attached to the rigid member are first means and second means. The first means limits the movement of the planar surface to sliding over the upper surface. The second means limits the movement of the lamellar carrier contained within the cavity.

In a second aspect, the disclosed technology can be implemented as a lid for a container. The lid may include a rigid member slidably maintained over the surface of the container. One or more guides may be attached to the rigid member and engage the container. One or more guides may limit the relative movement of the lid and container to one sliding direction. One or more protrusions may be attached to the rigid member. One or more protrusions may extend into each cavity within the container.

In another aspect, the disclosed technology can be implemented as a method of actuating a container lid. Prior to transport of the container, the lid may be slid to cover one or more cavities accessible from the upper surface of the container. The lid may be restricted to slide in one direction over the top surface of the container. After transport, the cover can be retracted to expose one or more cavities. The cover may include protrusions from the cover into a given cavity of one or more cavities. A protrusion may cause, for example, during transport, an object stored within a given cavity to (i) adhere to the cover, (ii) enter the gap between the top surface and the cover, or (iii) flip from its initial or intended position. It can be prevented from flipping. The protrusions also make objects suitable for automation by placing or landing them on the lower surface of a given cavity, for example facilitating extraction of objects. In some examples, the object may be a lamellar carrier.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosed technology will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 illustrates a first exemplary lid and container according to the disclosed technology.
2A illustrates a second example lid and container according to the disclosed technology.
2B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a second exemplary lid and container.
3A illustrates a third example lid and container according to the disclosed technology.
3B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a third exemplary lid and container.
4A illustrates a fourth exemplary lid and container according to the disclosed technology.
4B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a fourth exemplary lid and container.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example system incorporating the disclosed technology.
6 is a flow diagram of an example method according to the disclosed technology.

introduction

Some lamellae used as samples in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) can be about 10 to 100 nm thick with a transverse range of 1 to 100 μm. Lamellar carriers can be used to facilitate their handling. Lamellar carriers are typically flat and can also be thin (often about 10 μm thick) and light (often weighing less than a milligram each). An example of a conventional lamellar carrier 270 is shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The illustrated carrier 270 may have a semicircular shape with a diameter of approximately 3 mm. Lamelas (not shown) may be bonded to the walls of fingers 272 (e.g., welded by a focused ion beam (FIB), or attached by van der Waals forces). Other shapes and arrangements of lamellar carriers may also be used. Each lamella carrier can support 1 to 1,000 lamellae in a variety of applications.

Ultimately, the lamellar carrier can be stored or transported in each pocket of the container. Each pocket may have straight vertical wall(s) and may loosely contain a single lamellar carrier. The lid can then be worn over the container. A typical conventional cover may be a snap-on cover. Due to shaking and other forces encountered during transport, the lamellar carrier can move freely within the pocket of the container and attach to the inner surface of the lid, for example via electrostatic or van der Waals forces. When the lid is opened to retrieve the lamellar carriers, the lamellar carriers can often fall off the lid, while some may also fall off the container and become lost or damaged.

Additionally, removing lamellar carriers that have not fallen from the container can also be problematic. Typically, the lamellar carrier is often removed manually from the container. For example, the lamellar carrier can be removed using tweezers, or any other mechanical tool. These manual methods can damage the lamella carrier, including scratching or bending. The lamellar carrier may also be prone to hitting the vertical wall(s) of the container pocket and may even become detached from the lifting tool.

The technology disclosed herein provides improvements to address the problems described above. For example, the disclosed container lid can prevent the lamellar carrier from sticking to the interior surface of the lid or becoming caught in the gap between the lid and the top surface of the container (e.g., 262 in FIG. 2B). Lid movement may be limited to only 1 degree of freedom. This restriction can provide smooth and reliable opening and closing using less force than, for example, opening a snap-on lid in the outward vertical direction or away from the top surface of the container. The pocket containing the lamella carrier may also have inclined walls to provide an unobstructed path for removal of the lamella carrier, so there may be less risk of the lamella carrier hitting the wall.

The additional detailed description that follows provides a brief description of exemplary container lids that can benefit from the disclosed technology. For illustrative purposes, the examples below show containers and lids for handling lamellar carriers. However, the disclosed techniques can be similarly applied to handle a wide range of other thin or light objects, such as samples of foil, organic or inorganic membranes, or particulate samples from air quality monitoring.

Terms

The usage and meaning of all terms cited in this section apply throughout this disclosure unless otherwise clearly indicated or contrary to context. The terms below are expanded with related word forms.

The expression “A attached to B” may refer to two separate parts, A and B, attached together using, for example, fasteners, glue, or welding. The term may also refer to A and B integrally formed as a single unit, for example, molded, machined or extruded together.

The term “end effector” refers to a device having a manipulation tool at its end. An end effector may be mounted on the robot arm. The end effector described herein may include a tool for inserting the lamellar carrier into or extracting the lamellar carrier from the container. In an example, the end effector may be a vacuum pipette, but this is not a requirement. Adhesive, magnetic, or spring-loaded manipulating tools may also be used.

The term “extensive contact” refers to two objects lying flat against each other. The presence of surface roughness, which is microscopically limited to a few individual points, does not exclude extensive contact between objects. In the disclosed example, the lamellar carrier may lie on the lower surface of the cavity and be in extensive contact therewith. In some prior art techniques, the lamellar carrier may sometimes be in extensive contact with the interior surface of the lid.

The term “lamellae” refers to a thin sample suitable for imaging in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The lamellae may have a thickness ranging from 5 to 200 nm, 10 to 30 nm and a transverse extent typically from 1 to 20 μm.

The term “lamella carrier” refers to a support structure for one or more lamellae. The lamellar carrier may have a thickness of 1 to 100 μm, and generally a transverse range of 0.1 to 10 mm. Lamellar carriers may be compatible with TEM sample handling.

The term “major surface” of a component is a surface of the component whose area is not substantially exceeded by any other surface of the component.

The term “plate” refers to a solid object having two substantially parallel planar major surfaces separated by a distance referred to as “thickness”. The thickness and thickness variation of the plate may be less than 25% of any transverse extent of the plate. The presence of holes, attached protrusions or other fittings, bevels, or rounded edges does not exclude the object from being a plate. Some rigid members described herein may be in the form of plates, but this is not a requirement.

The term “random number” refers to a positive integer (N), where N is in the range 1, 2, 3 to 10, 11 to 100, 101 to 10,000, or 10,001. It may range from 10,000,000 to 10,000,000. To illustrate, a disclosed lid can cover a vessel with a single cavity, while another disclosed lid can cover a vessel with an array of cavities on a 0.5 mm pitch, such that a 0.5 m x 0.5 m vessel can have up to 1,000,000 cavities. and the corresponding lid may have one or more studs protruding into each cavity when the lid is in the closed position.

The expression “gliding A on B” may include holding B stationary and moving A, or vice versa, or some combination thereof. The direction of glide may be along a straight line, along an arc of a circle, or along another path. That is, under a gliding motion in one direction, a given point on the gliding object may traverse a straight line, arc, or other shaped line.

The terms “top,” “bottom,” “upward,” “downward,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” and the like are used for convenience in reference to the common configuration in which the lid is positioned on the upper surface of the container. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that this disclosure may vary the actual choice of orientation without departing from the scope of the disclosed technology. The term “outward vertical” refers to a direction away from the major surface of the object, such as upward from the top surface of a container or the top surface of a lid. The term “transverse” refers to a direction within or parallel to the major surface of an object.

First example of container cover

1 is a diagram 100 illustrating an example of a lid 102 that may be used with a container 140. Container 140 includes a cavity 142 sized to receive object 150 . Although only one cavity 142 is shown, vessel 140 may have any number of cavities. Cover 102 includes a rigid member 110 . Rigid member 110 may have an outer surface and an inner surface 122 opposite the outer surface. The surface of interior surface 122 is adjacent to and registers with the upper planar surface of container 140 when lid 102 is attached to container 140. Object 150 may be inserted into or extracted from cavity 142 through top surface 146 of container 140.

The interior surface 122 of rigid member 110 may have protrusions 120 . In an example, protrusion 120 may be sized to fit within the interior space of cavity 142. The protrusions may also be sized to a height such that the protrusions leave clearance over the object 150 when the lid 102 is in the closed position and the object 150 is placed in the bottom of the cavity 142. However, even in the closed state, protrusion 120 may restrict movement of object 150 as indicated by arrow 160 .

In some embodiments, cavity 142 includes an indentation or depression (not shown) sized to be smaller than the surface area of object 150, such that when object 150 is placed in the bottom of cavity 142, Part of the surface area of 150) may not be in contact with the bottom of the indentation. In some examples, the depression may protect object 150 from damage, such as crushing while being inserted into or extracted from cavity 142. In some embodiments, cavity 142 may be sized and shaped to limit movement of object 150. For example, cavity 142 can be sized and shaped to match the size and shape of object 150. In this example, object 150 may be restrained from rotating while placed in the bottom of cavity 142 and may maintain its azimuthal orientation within azimuthal tolerance during transport. In examples, the azimuth tolerance may be 1 to 5, 5 to 10, 10 to 30, or 30 to 90 degrees.

Protrusions 120 may also prevent objects 150 from being pulled and bonded to the interior surface 122 of rigid member 110 . Although only one protrusion 120 is shown, rigid member 110 may have any number of protrusions 120 .

The rigid member 110 may include a guide 130. When lid 102 is used to close container 140, guide 130 may limit movement of rigid member 110 as schematically indicated by arrow 162. Movement may be limited to one degree of freedom, for example parallel to the top surface of the vessel 140 in a gliding movement. In some implementations, movement 162 may be limited to a linear glide movement. Movement 162 may cause rigid member 110 to hide cavity 142 (which is closed) or expose cavity 142 (which is open).

Numerous extensions or variations of the illustrated covers can be implemented within the scope of the disclosed technology, some of which are described in the context of other examples or elsewhere herein. Protrusion 120 may be elongated to extend through multiple cavities 142 . In another example, protrusion 120 may be sized to fit completely within one cavity 142 when the lid is in the closed position. Container 140 may have corresponding grooves sized to accommodate protrusions 120 that have insufficient width or clearance for object 150 to exit cavity 142 .

In some examples, sliding between lid 102 and container 140 may be a rotational movement about a pivot point. In a further example, rigid member 110 or container 140 may be provided with grooves to retain gaskets, allowing the closed assembly of diagram 100 to be vacuum sealed. Stops may be provided on lid 102 or on container 140 to limit the range of sliding movement. A fitting or handle may be provided on the lid 102 to enable an actuator to perform opening and closing of the lid 102. The interior surface 122 may be coated with an anti-static material. Lid 102 may include one or more openings or transparent windows, for example, to allow reading of a label or code (e.g., a DataMatrix™ code or QR code™) while the container is in a closed state. A single container 140 may have multiple lids 102 covering each group of cavities 142 .

Second example of container cover

2A is a diagram 200 illustrating a second example of container 250 and lid 210. FIG. 2B is a diagram 202 illustrating a vertical cross-section of container 250 and lid 210 along plane AA' of FIG. 2A. For simplicity, only one cavity 260 is shown in FIG. 2B. In this example, vessel 250 may have an elongated rectangular shape.

Container 250 includes one or more cavities (or pockets) 260. Cavity 260 is accessible through upper planar surface 256 of vessel 250. Each cavity 260 is sized to accommodate a lamella carrier 270 so that the lamella carrier 270 can lie flat on the lower surface 253 of the cavity 260 and facing towards the lid 210. It may have a major surface 274. Although only two cavities 260 are shown in FIG. 2A, vessel 250 may have any number of cavities. Lamellar carrier 270 may be inserted into or extracted from cavity 260 through upper planar surface 256 of vessel 250.

Cover 210 may include a rigid member 220. The rigid member 220 may have a planar shaped portion having an outer planar surface 221 and an inner planar surface 222 opposite the outer surface 221. The inner surface surface 222 is the container ( When attached to 250, it is proximate to and conforms to the top planar surface 256 of vessel 250. However, a gap 262 may exist between the inner surface face 222 and the top surface 256.

Lid 210 may include means for limiting the movement of planar surface 221 to a sliding movement over top surface 256 . In some examples, this movement restriction may be provided by wrap-around flanges 230, 232. The flanges 230, 232 may have an L-shaped cross-section with portions 234, 236 extending inwardly toward the central axis CC', at least partially below the bottom of the container 250. As such, lid 210 with flanges 230 and 232 can at least partially wrap around container 250 .

As lid 210 partially wraps around vessel 250 , lid 210 may be limited to a sliding movement 280 only along the longitudinal length of vessel 250 . As such, the wrap-around flanges 230, 232 also inhibit movement of the lid vertically outward or away from the top surface 256. As lid 210 moves along the longitudinal length of vessel 250, it may expose or cover cavity 260. When cavity 260 is not exposed, the vessel is considered to be in a closed state. When one or more cavities 260 are exposed, the vessel is considered to be in an open state. In some examples, when lid 210 is in a first slidable position, N cavities 260 may be covered by lid 210 and when lid 210 is in a second slidable position, M cavities 260 ) may be covered by cover 210, where M and N are non-negative integers, N > 1 and M < N.

Multiple rows of cavities 260 may extend linearly along the length of vessel 250 . For each linear row of cavities 260 , the vessel 250 also includes at least a corresponding groove 258 arranged linearly along the length of the vessel 250 . Each groove 258 extends through one or more cavities 260 . Cavities 260 and grooves 258 may have a transverse extent or depth 255 extending from top surface 256 . As described herein, vessel 250 may have any number of cavities and corresponding rows of grooves.

Lid 210 may also include means for restricting movement of object 270 contained within cavity 260 . In some examples, such means may be provided by protrusions 224, 226. In some embodiments, protrusions 224, 226 may extend orthogonally from interior planar surface 222. In another example, protrusions 224, 226 may extend non-orthogonally from interior planar surface 222. Protrusions 224, 226 may be positioned such that they extend from interior planar surface 222 into cavity 260. The extensions of the protrusions 224, 226 may be less than the depth 255, such that a gap 259 may exist between the tips of the protrusions 224, 226 and the lower surface 253 of the cavity 260. Each protrusion 224 , 226 may have an extension less than depth 255 and may also extend into groove 258 .

In this example, each of the protrusions 224, 226 may have the shape of an elongated ridge extending linearly along the longitudinal length of the lid 210, container 250, and groove 258. . Each ridge 224, 226 extends into and along a corresponding groove 258 in the direction of sliding movement 280 of lid 210. In some embodiments, each ridge 224, 226 can have a length such that the ridge extends through all of the cavities 260 positioned linearly along the corresponding groove 258. In some embodiments, the length of each ridge 224, 226 may be at least greater than the open top of a given cavity occupied by the ridge, or greater than half the length of the vessel in the direction of sliding movement 280. . 2A and 2B show two grooves 258 and two corresponding ridges 224, 226 passing through cavity 260, vessel 250 and lid 210 can have any number of grooves and Corresponding ridges, for example, may range from 1, 2 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 100, or more.

A gap 259 between the tips of the ridges 224, 226 and the lower surface 253 of the cavity 260 may confine the lamellar carrier 270 within a tolerance zone proximate the bottom of the cavity 260. The lamellar carrier can only move within the gap 259 and thus the lamellar carrier may be prevented from reaching the gap 262 between the container top surface 256 and the lid 210. The tolerance zone formed by the gap 259 may also prevent the lamella carrier 270 from flipping or turning over from its initial or intended position. Ridges 224, 226 may also prevent the lamellar carrier from making extensive contact with the interior planar surface 222 of rigid member 220. For example, ridges 224 and 226 may prevent the lamellar carrier from attaching or sticking to interior planar surface 222.

In some embodiments, cavity 260 may include sloped side walls 252, 254 that slope upward from the bottom of the cavity and outward from central axis (CC'), as shown. The sloping walls 252, 254 and the flat bottom 253 may form a conical shape with a flat bottom. The outwardly angled slope may allow the lamellar carrier 270 to be extracted from the cavity 260 without contacting the side walls 252, 254.

Although the narrow cross-section of the ridges 224, 226 substantially inhibits attachment of the lamellar carrier 270 to the ridges 224, 226, additional protection against such scenarios may be desirable in some applications. In some embodiments, sidewalls 252, 254 may act as stops as lid 210 and ridges 224, 226 slide and carry lamellar carrier 270. The lamellar carrier 270 may then be stopped by the sidewalls 252, 254 and fall back into the cavity 260 while the lid 210 and ridges 224, 226 continue to slide.

Numerous extensions or modifications of the illustrated covers may be implemented within the scope of the disclosed technology, some of which are described elsewhere herein. In some examples, flange portions 234 and 236 may connect across the bottom of vessel 250. In various examples, each cavity may accommodate a single protrusion 224, or more than two protrusions 224.

In some embodiments, protrusions 224 and 226 may have the shape of studs. Studs 224, 226 may have a length that is less than, substantially equal to, or greater than the upper length 267 of a given cavity occupied by the studs. Studs 224, 226 may fit fully within the transverse extent of each cavity when the vessel is in the closed position. In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the transverse dimension may be about 1:1 (circular), less than 1.2:1, or less than 3:1. In some embodiments, the tips of protrusions 224 and 226 may have rounded lower ends.

In some embodiments, container 250 may include a lid movement restriction member. 2A and 2B, the limiting members may include stop members 282 and 284 located at each end of the elongated container 250. Stop members 282 and 284 may protrude from the top planar surface 256 of vessel 250. Stationary members 282, 284 may have an extension from upper planar surface 256 that is less than, substantially equal to, or greater than the thickness of rigid member 220. The stop members 282 and 284 may limit the sliding movement 280 of the lid 210 to a finite range.

Figure 2A shows two stop members 282, 284, but vessel 250 may have only one stop member. In another variation, the container 250 or lid 210 may be provided with multiple detents to allow controlled opening of the container 250 in successive groups of cavities 260 . In another variation, one or more stop members may be attached to lid 210 in addition to or instead of being attached to container 250.

Third example of container cover

3A is a diagram 300 illustrating a third example of a partially open container 350 and lid 310. 3B is a diagram 302 illustrating a vertical cross-sectional view of container 350 and lid 310 along plane BB' with lid 310 in the closed position. In this example, vessel 350 may have an elongated rectangular shape.

Container 350 includes a plurality of cavities (or pockets) 360. Cavity 360 is accessible through upper planar surface 356 of vessel 350. Each cavity 360 is sized to accommodate a lamella carrier 370 so that the lamella carrier 370 can lie flat on the lower surface 353 of the cavity 360, facing toward the lid 310. It may have a major surface 374. Although only three cavities 360 are shown in FIG. 3A, vessel 350 may have any number of cavities. The lamellar carrier 370 may be inserted into or extracted from the cavity 360 through the upper planar surface 356 of the vessel 350.

Cover 310 may include a rigid member 320. Rigid member 320 may have a planar shaped portion having an outer planar surface 321 and an inner planar surface 322 opposite the outer surface 321 . The inner surface surface 322 is proximate to and conforms to the top planar surface 356 of the container 350 when the lid 310 is attached to the container 350. However, a gap 362 may exist between the inner surface face 322 and the top surface 356.

Container 350 may include grooves 364 and 366. Grooves 364, 366 extend along the longitudinal length of container 350 and are sized to receive or engage flanges 330, 332 of rigid member 320. As such, grooves 364, 366 may have an extension that is substantially equal to or greater than the thickness of rigid member 320. Flanges 330 and 332 extend along each longitudinal side of rigid member 320. In some embodiments, grooves 364, 366 may be formed from extensions 357, 358 extending upwardly from top planar surface 356 along a longitudinal side of container 350.

Due to the engagement of grooves 364, 366 with rigid member 320, lid 310 may be limited to sliding movement only along the longitudinal length of container 350, as indicated by arrow 380. As such, grooves 364, 366 also inhibit movement of lid 310 vertically outward or away from top surface 356. As lid 310 moves along the length of vessel 350, it may expose or cover cavity 360. When cavity 360 is not exposed, the vessel is considered to be in a closed state. When one or more cavities 360 are exposed, the vessel is considered to be in an open state. In some examples, when the cover 310 is in the first slidable position, N cavities 360 may be covered by the cover 310 and when the cover is in the second slidable position, M cavities 360 ) may be covered by cover 310, where M and N are non-negative integers, N > 1 and M < N.

In the examples of FIGS. 3A and 3B , cavity 360 is positioned linearly along the longitudinal length of vessel 350 . For each linear row of cavities 360 , the vessel 350 also includes at least a corresponding groove 368 located linearly along the longitudinal length of the vessel 350 . Each groove 368 extends through one or more cavities 360. Cavities 360 and grooves 368 may have a transverse extent or depth 355 extending from top surface 356 . As described herein, vessel 350 may have any number of rows of cavities and corresponding grooves.

Lid 310 may include protrusions 324 and 326. In some embodiments, protrusions 324, 326 may extend orthogonally from interior planar surface 322. In another example, protrusions 324, 326 may extend non-orthogonally from interior planar surface 322. Protrusions 324, 326 are positioned such that they extend from interior planar surface 322 into cavity 360. The extensions of the protrusions 324, 326 may be less than the depth 355, such that a gap 359 may exist between the tips of the protrusions 324, 326 and the lower surface 353 of the cavity 360. Protrusions 324, 326 may also extend into groove 368, since each protrusion 324, 326 may have an extension that is less than depth 355.

In this example, each of the protrusions 324, 326 may have the shape of an elongated ridge extending linearly along the longitudinal length of the lid 310, container 350, and groove 368. . Each ridge 324, 326 extends into and along a corresponding groove 368 and along the sliding movement 380 of the cover 310. In some embodiments, each ridge 324, 326 may have a length such that the ridge extends through all of the cavities 360 positioned linearly along the corresponding groove 368. In some embodiments, the length of each ridge 324, 326 is at least greater than the open top of a given cavity 360 occupied by the ridge 324, 326, or the length of the vessel in the direction of sliding movement 380. It can be greater than half the length of (350). 3A and 3B show two grooves 368 and two corresponding ridges 324, 326, container 350 and lid 310 can have any number of grooves and corresponding ridges. .

A gap 359 between the tips of the ridges 324, 326 and the lower surface 353 of the cavity 360 may confine the lamella carrier 370 to within a tolerance zone relative to the lower portion of the cavity. The lamellar carrier can only move within this gap, and thus the lamellar carrier may be prevented from reaching the gap 362 between the container top surface 356 and the lid 310. Ridges 324, 326 may also prevent the lamellar carrier from making extensive contact with the interior planar surface 322 of rigid member 320. For example, ridges 324, 326 may prevent the lamellar carrier from attaching or sticking to interior planar surface 322.

In some embodiments, cavity 360 may include sloped side walls 352, 354 that slope upward from the bottom of the cavity and outward from central axis EE', as shown. The outwardly angled slope may allow the lamellar carrier 370 to be extracted from the cavity 360 without contacting the side walls 352, 354.

Although the narrow cross-section of the ridges 324, 326 substantially inhibits attachment of the lamellar carrier 370 to the ridges 324, 326, additional protection against such scenarios may be desirable in some applications. In some embodiments, when the lamella carrier 370 is attached to the tips of the ridges 324, 326, the sidewalls 352, 354 are aligned with the lamella carrier 370 along which the cover 310 and the ridges 324, 326 slide. It can serve as a stopper when transporting. The lamellar carrier 370 may then be stopped by the sidewalls 352, 354 and fall back into the cavity 360 while the lid 310 and ridges 324, 326 continue to slide.

In some embodiments, protrusions 324 and 326 may have the shape of studs. Studs 324, 326 may have a length that is less than, substantially equal to, or greater than the open top width 367 of a given cavity occupied by the studs. Studs 324, 326 may fit fully within the transverse extent of each cavity when the vessel is in the closed position. In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the transverse dimension may be about 1:1 (circular), less than 1.2:1, or less than 3:1.

In some embodiments, the tips of protrusions 324, 326 may have a rounded convex (as shown) or concave shape. The tips of protrusions 324, 326 may also have or include other shapes. Any of these profiles may reduce the surface area of the protrusions that may contact the lamellar carrier 270 or other objects.

In some embodiments, container 350 may include a lid movement restriction member. In the example of FIGS. 3A and 3B , the limiting member may include a stop member 382 located at one end of the elongated container 350 . A stop member 382 protrudes from the upper planar surface 356 of the vessel 350 and may connect the two grooves 364 and 366. Stop member 382 includes grooves (not shown) sized similarly to grooves 364 and 366 to receive or engage the short end of rigid member 320. The stop member 382 may stop the sliding movement 380 of the lid 310 in a closed state of the container 350. In another variation, one or more stop members may be attached to lid 310 in addition to or instead of being attached to container 350.

Numerous extensions or modifications of the illustrated covers may be implemented within the scope of the disclosed technology, some of which are described elsewhere herein. 3A shows a single row of cavities 360 extending longitudinally in the direction of sliding 380. In variations, cavities 360 may be arranged as a single row extending parallel to section line BB', or in multiple rows or columns. Lid 310 includes a window, allowing only one or a few cavities to be open at a time.

Fourth example of container cover

4A is a diagram 400 illustrating a fourth example of container 450 and lid 410. 4B is a diagram 402 illustrating a vertical cross-section of container 450 and lid 410 along plane FF'. In this example, container 450 may have a circular shape.

Container 450 includes a plurality of cavities (or pockets) 460. Cavity 460 is accessible through upper planar surface 456 of vessel 450. Each cavity 460 is sized to accommodate a lamellar carrier 470 so that the lamella carrier 470 can lie flat on the lower surface 453 of the cavity 460 and face toward the circular lid 410. It may have a major surface 474 facing. Although only three cavities 460 are shown in FIG. 4A, vessel 450 may have any number of cavities. The lamellar carrier 470 may be inserted into or extracted from the cavity 460 through the upper planar surface 456 of the vessel 450.

Cover 410 may include a rigid member 420. The rigid member 420 may have a planar shaped portion having an outer planar surface 421 and an inner planar surface 422 opposite the outer surface 421. The inner surface surface 422 is the container ( When attached to 450, it is proximate to and conforms to the upper planar surface 456 of container 450. However, a gap 462 may exist between the inner surface face 422 and the top surface 456.

In some embodiments, rigid member 420 may include an opening 425 . Opening 425 may have an open area that is greater than the open area of at least one cavity 460 .

Container 450 may include grooves 464 . Groove 464 extends around the perimeter of container 450 and may be sized to receive or engage flange 430 of rigid member 420. As such, groove 464 may have an extension larger than the thickness of rigid member 420. Flange 430 may extend continuously or segmentally around the perimeter of rigid member 420. In an example, flange 430 may include several separate tabs disposed around the perimeter of rigid member 420. In some embodiments, groove 464 may be formed from an extension 457 that extends upwardly from top planar surface 456 around the perimeter of container 450.

Due to the engagement of the groove 464 with the rigid member 420, the lid 410 may be limited to an azimuthal rotation 480 about the pivot point 481. As such, grooves 464 also restrain the lid vertically outwardly or away from top surface 456 . In some embodiments, pivot point 481 may include a post extending from the inner surface face 422 of rigid member 422 to the lower surface 451 of container 450. In some embodiments, the opening on the lower surface 451 of the container and the correspondingly aligned opening in the interior surface face 422 may be positioned to engage the post at the pivot point 481. In some implementations, the post may be fixedly attached to the bottom surface 451 of the container or the interior surface 422 of the rigid member 420 and the opening may be in another unit. The posts and corresponding openings may extend through or partially into the lower surface 451 of the container or the inner surface 422 of the rigid member 420.

As cover 410 rotates about pivot point 481, it may selectively expose or cover one or more of cavities 460. When opening 425 is aligned with a given cavity 460, a given cavity 460 may be exposed. When cavity 460 is not exposed, the vessel is considered to be in a closed state. When one or more cavities 460 are exposed, the vessel is considered to be in an open state. In some examples, when the cover 410 is in the first slidable position, N cavities 460 may be covered by the cover 410 and when the cover is in the second slidable position, M cavities 460 ) may be covered by cover 410, where M and N are non-negative integers, N > 1 and M < N.

In the example of Figure 4A, cavity 460 is positioned concentric with the circumference of vessel 450. For each row of cavities 460 , vessel 450 may also include one or more corresponding grooves 468 located concentrically with the circumference of vessel 450 . Each groove 468 may extend through one or more cavities 460 . Cavity 460 may have a depth 455 extending from top surface 456 . In various embodiments, grooves 468 may have a depth less than or equal to cavity depth 455 . In variations, the vessel 450 may have a circular ring of any number of cavities and corresponding grooves. Openings 425 may simultaneously expose multiple cavities 460 on each ring.

Lid 410 may include protrusions 424 and 426 . In some embodiments, protrusions 424, 426 may extend orthogonally from interior planar surface 422. In another example, protrusions 424, 426 may extend non-orthogonally from interior planar surface 422. Protrusions 424, 426 may be positioned such that they extend from interior planar surface 422 into cavity 460. The downwardly extending portions of the protrusions 424, 426 may be less than the depth of the grooves 468 and also less than the cavity depth 455, such that there is a gap between the tips of the protrusions 424, 426 and the lower surface 453 of the cavity 460. Gaps 459 may exist.

In this example, each of the protrusions 424, 426 takes the shape of a groove 468, a cover 410, and an incomplete circular ridge extending azimuthally with respect to the pivot point 481, concentric with the groove 464. You can have it. The circles of ridges 424 and 426 are incomplete when fractured at opening 425. Each ridge 424, 426 may extend into a corresponding groove 468. In some embodiments, each ridge 424, 426 is of a length such that when the vessel 450 is in the closed state, the ridge extends through all cavities 460 azimuthally distributed along the corresponding groove 368. You can have In some embodiments, the length of each ridge 424, 426 may be at least greater than the open top length 467 of a given cavity 460 in the azimuthal direction, or may exceed 90° or 180° in the azimuthal direction. . 4A and 4B show two grooves 468 and two corresponding ridges 424, 426, container 450 and lid 410 can have any number of grooves and corresponding ridges. .

A gap 459 between the tips of the ridges 424, 426 and the lower surface 453 of the cavity 460 may constrain the lamella carrier 470 to within tolerance relative to the lower portion of the cavity. The lamellar carrier can only move within this gap, and thus the lamellar carrier may be prevented from reaching the gap 462 between the container top surface 456 and the lid 410. Ridges 424, 426 may also prevent the lamellar carrier from making extensive contact with the interior planar surface 422 of rigid member 420. For example, ridges 424 and 426 may prevent the lamellar carrier from attaching or sticking to interior planar surface 422 .

In some embodiments, cavity 460 has sloped side walls 452, 454 that slope upwardly from a lower surface 453 of the cavity and outwardly from a central axis GG' of cavity 460, as shown. ) may include. The outwardly angled slope may allow the lamellar carrier 470 to be extracted from the cavity 460 without contacting the side walls 452, 454.

Although the narrow cross-section of the ridges 424, 426 substantially inhibits the lamellar carrier 470 from attaching to the ridges 424, 426, additional protection against such scenarios may be desirable in some applications. In some embodiments, side walls 452, 454 may act as stops as lid 410 and ridges 424, 426 slide and carry lamellar carrier 470. The lamellar carrier 470 may then be stopped by the sidewalls 452, 454 and fall back into the cavity 460 while the lid 410 and ridges 424, 426 continue to slide.

In some embodiments, protrusions 424 and 426 may have the shape of studs. Studs 424, 426 may have a length that is less than, substantially equal to, or greater than the open top width 467 of a given cavity occupied by the studs. Studs 424, 426 may fit fully within the transverse extent of each cavity when the vessel is in the closed position. In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the transverse dimension may be about 1:1 (circular), less than 1.2:1, or less than 3:1.

In some embodiments, the tips of protrusions 424, 426 may have a rounded convex or concave shape. The tips of protrusions 424, 426 may also have or include other shapes.

4A and 4B show pivot point 481 located at the center of container 450 and lid 410, pivot point 481 may also be located at other locations within container 450.

Numerous extensions or modifications of the illustrated covers may be implemented within the scope of the disclosed technology, some of which are described elsewhere herein. FIG. 4A shows a lid 410 with a single opening 425 exposing a single cavity 460 . In a variation, openings 425 may expose multiple cavities 460 or lid 410 may include multiple separate openings 425 . In another variation, container 450 or lid 410, or both, may include a lid movement restriction member.

example system

In some examples, the disclosed techniques can be applied to automated handling of lamellar carriers. 5 is a diagram 500 illustrating an operational system located, for example, in a laboratory or production site, which may include a lamella manufacturing station 510, a transport subsystem 520, and a transmission electron microscope (TEM) 530. am. In some embodiments, lamella fabrication station 510 may include a vacuum chamber with a load lock. In some examples, once lamella 574 is attached to lamella carrier 570, effector 512 may deposit (or insert) lamella carrier 570 into lamella carrier container 530. Effector 512 may be a vacuum pipette or other type of end effector. In some examples, the lamellar carrier container 530 or lid 532 may be in accordance with the exemplary embodiments described herein, but this is not a requirement, and in other examples, the lamellar carrier container 530 or lid 532 may be in accordance with the exemplary embodiments described herein. design can be used.

In some embodiments, effector 512 may deposit each lamellar carrier 570 into each cavity within lamellar carrier vessel 530. After lamellar carrier 570 is deposited within the cavity, an effector 512 or other actuator (not shown) may close lid 532. For example, effector 512 may cause cover 532 to slide into a position covering all cavities. In some embodiments, effector 512 or other actuator may also secure lid 532 to lamellar carrier container 530.

The vessel 530 may then be transported through transport subsystem 520. In some examples, transportation subsystem 520 may include a conveyor belt. Transport subsystem 520 may transport lamellar carrier vessel 530 to TEM 530. TEM 530 may include, for example, a vacuum chamber with a load lock through which lamellar carrier 570 may be introduced into the sample chamber of the TEM. Like effector 512, effector 522 may be a vacuum pipette or other type of end effector. In some embodiments, effector 522 or other actuator may open lid 532 prior to extraction of lamella carrier 570. For example, effector 522 may cause lid 532 to slide into a position exposing one or more cavities of lamellar carrier container 530. The lamellar carrier 570 can then be extracted from the exposed cavity.

Numerous extensions or modifications of the illustrated covers may be implemented within the scope of the disclosed technology, some of which are described elsewhere herein. For example, transport subsystem 520 may include a robotic arm or pneumatic tube. In some embodiments, transport subsystem 520 may include or be used in conjunction with a Front Opening Universal Pod (FOUP). Effector 512 may be configured to extract lamella carrier 570 from lamella manufacturing station 510 and insert lamella carrier into container 530 . Effector 522 may be configured to extract the lamellar carrier from vessel 530 and insert lamellar carrier 570 into the load lock of TEM 550. Spring-loaded or magnetic covers may also be used. An external actuator may slide the lid 532 in the open position (e.g., by causing the spring to further compress or expand). Lid 532 can then be automatically closed by removing the actuator to return the lid to its nominal position.

Exemplary method

6 is a flow diagram 600 of a first exemplary method for automated handling of lamellar carriers. Flow diagram 600 may include process blocks for operating the container and lid as disclosed herein. In variations, the method may be expanded to include packaging the lamella or lamellar carrier in a lamellar carrier container, transporting the lamellar carrier container, and extracting the lamella or lamellar carrier from the lamellar carrier container.

At process block 620, the lid of the container may be slid to cover one or more cavities of the container prior to transporting the container. The lid may be constrained to slide in a first direction over the top surface of the container. This can place the container in a closed state with all cavities or all occupied cavities covered. In some embodiments, sliding movement of the lid in block 620 may be limited by stops.

At process block 630, after transporting the vessel, the lid of the vessel may be slid to expose one or more cavities of the vessel. In some examples, the lid can slide in a second direction over the top surface of the container. This allows the container to be placed in an open or partially open state with at least one cavity exposed. In some embodiments, the sliding movement of the lid in block 630 may be limited by another stop.

Numerous variations and extensions of the disclosed method may be implemented. In some embodiments, optional process block 610, shown in a dashed outline, may precede process block 620. At process block 610, an object may be introduced into the cavity of the container. For example, a lamellar carrier can be deposited within a cavity of the exemplary lamellar carrier container described above. Multiple lamellar carriers can be loaded into each cavity of the lamellar carrier container. In a further embodiment, optional process block 640 may follow block 630 and the object may be extracted from its cavity. Multiple lamellar carriers can be extracted from each cavity of the lamellar carrier container. In another example variation, process block 610 may be preceded by sliding the cover to expose one or more cavities. In another variation, process block 640 may be followed by sliding a cover to cover the cavity. In some other variations, the container may remain closed until an object needs to be extracted from the cavity. This can protect the object and prevent contamination.

Additional examples

The following are additional examples of the disclosed technology.

Example 1 is a cover for one or more cavities, comprising a first cavity, accessible through the top surface of a container, comprising: a rigid member having a planar surface, and attached to the rigid member: causing movement of the planar surface over the top surface. a first means for limiting to gliding; and within the first cavity, a second means for restricting movement of the object contained within the cavity.

Embodiment 2 includes the subject matter of Embodiment 1, wherein, by a second means, the object reaches the gap between the top surface of the container and the planar surface of the rigid member, or flips from its initial or intended position. ) It is further specified that it is restricted from being.

Embodiment 3 includes the technical subject matter of Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, and further specifies that by the second means the main surface of the object is restricted from extensive contact with the planar surface of the rigid member.

Example 4 includes the technical subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 3, and further specifies that the movement of the planar surface is limited to a linear translation relative to the container by the first means.

Example 5 includes the subject matter of Example 4 and further specifies that the first means includes one or more wrap-around flanges positioned to extend at least partially around the container.

Embodiment 6 includes the subject matter of any one of Embodiments 1 to 5, and further specifies that the movement of the planar surface is limited to azimuthal rotation about the pivot point by the first means.

Embodiment 7 includes the subject matter of Embodiment 6 and further specifies that the first means comprises a post positioned to engage at the pivot point an opening on the container or an opening on a planar surface at the pivot point.

Embodiment 8 includes the technical subject matter of any one of Embodiments 1 to 7, and further specifies that the first means includes one or more flanges positioned to engage with one or more grooves of the container extending in the sliding direction. do.

Embodiment 9 includes the technical subject matter of any one of Embodiments 1 to 8, and further specifies that the first means suppresses movement of the planar surface from the upper surface of the container in the outward vertical direction.

Example 10 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 9, wherein N > 1 and M < N is one or more cavities of a non-negative integer, and when the cover is in the first sliding position, N When M cavities are covered by the cover and the cover is in the second sliding position, it is further specified that M cavities are covered by the cover.

Example 11 includes the technical subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 10, and N is a range including 1, 2, 3 to 10, a range including 11 to 100, and a range including 101 to 10,000. , or it is further specified that the range includes 10,001 to 1,000,000.

Example 12 includes the technical subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 11, and further specifies that sliding is limited to a finite range by one or more stops attached to the container or lid.

Embodiment 13 includes the technical subject matter of any one of Embodiments 1 to 12, and further specifies that the second means includes one or more protrusions.

Embodiment 14 includes the subject matter of embodiment 13, wherein each of the one or more protrusions (i) has a longitudinal extent in the sliding direction and (ii) when the cover is in the first sliding position, at least one of the one or more cavities. It is further specified that it is a ridge positioned to occupy .

Example 15 includes the subject matter of Example 14, wherein the longitudinal extent of the ridge is greater than the extent to which a given cavity is occupied by the ridge; greater than half the length of the vessel in the direction of slide; It is further specified that a given cavity is within 10% of the extent occupied by the ridge.

Example 16 includes the subject matter of Example 13, and further specifies that each of the one or more protrusions is a stud extending from the cover into a respective cavity of the one or more cavities.

Example 17 includes any of the subject matter of Example 16 and further specifies that when the cover is in the first sliding position, the studs are positioned completely within the transverse extent of each cavity.

Example 18 includes the technical subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 17, and further specifies that the rigid member is a plate.

Example 19 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 18, and further specifies that the rigid member is at least partially optically translucent or optically transparent.

Example 20 includes the subject matter of any one of Examples 1 to 19, wherein each cavity of the one or more cavities is sized to include a lamella carrier, and wherein the transverse extent of each cavity is lamellar by the maximum tolerance. It is further specified that the tolerance ranges from 1% to 100% of the corresponding transverse extent of the lamellar carrier.

Example 21 is a lid for a container, comprising a rigid member slidably maintained over the surface of the container, and one or more guides attached to the rigid member and engaged with the container, wherein the one or more guides direct relative movement of the lid and container in one sliding direction. Guide to limit; Attached to the rigid member and comprising one or more protrusions extending into each cavity within the container.

Example 22 includes the subject matter of Example 21 and further specifies that the container is a lamellar carrier container.

Embodiment 23 includes the subject matter of either Embodiment 21 or Embodiment 22, wherein the surface is a first surface and the rigid member includes a second surface proximate to and conforming to the first surface, and the one or more protrusions. Each protrusion may be formed in a respective cavity of each protrusion if an object (i) makes extensive contact with the second surface, (ii) enters the gap between the first surface and the second surface, or (iii) enters the gap between the first surface and the second surface. It further specifies that it prevents flipping from the initial or intended position.

Example 24 is a container assembly comprising the lid and container of claim 21.

Embodiment 25 includes the subject matter of Embodiment 24, wherein a given cavity of the cavity is shaped to limit the azimuthal rotation of an object located within the given cavity, the object has the shape of a segment of a circle, and the lower surface of the given cavity is depressed. It is further specified that the protrusion is formed as a portion to reduce the surface area of a given cavity that is in contact with an object, or that the protrusion has a lower edge that is shaped to reduce the surface area of the protrusion that may be in contact with the object.

Example 26 is a system: a lamella manufacturing station; a conveyor supporting the vessel assembly of claim 25 and coupled to the lamella making station to receive one or more lamellas from the lamella making station; and a transmission electron microscope (TEM) coupled to the lamella making station to receive one or more lamellae from the conveyor.

Example 27 includes the subject matter of Example 26, and includes a first end effector configured to insert one or more lamella carriers supporting one or more lamellaes into a container assembly at a lamella manufacturing station; and a second end effector configured to extract the one or more lamellar carriers from the vessel assembly in the TEM.

Example 28 is a method comprising, prior to transport of a container, sliding a lid to cover one or more cavities accessible from the upper surface of the container, the lid being limited to sliding in one direction over the upper surface; and after transport, retracting the cover to expose one or more cavities; A protrusion from a cover into a given cavity of one or more cavities may cause an object stored within a given cavity during transport to (i) adhere to the cover, (ii) enter the gap between the top surface and the cover, or (iii) move from its initial or intended position. Prevent flipping.

Example 29 includes the subject matter of Example 28 and further specifies that the object is a lamellar carrier.

Embodiment 30 includes the subject matter of Embodiments 28 or 29, and includes introducing the object into a given cavity prior to gliding.

Embodiment 31 includes the subject matter of any one of Embodiments 28 to 30, and includes, after retraction, extracting the object from a given cavity.

In some embodiments, the rigid members of various examples of the lid may be at least partially optically translucent or optically transparent. The rigid members of various examples of covers may be plates, or three-dimensional components with a flat bottom surface. In some embodiments, the rigid members of various examples of the lid may include one or more handles, etc.

General considerations

As used in this application and the claims, the singular forms “one,” “an,” and “the” include plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, the term “include” means “comprise.” Additionally, the term “coupled” does not exclude the presence of intermediate elements between coupled items. Additionally, as used herein, the terms “or” and “and/or” refer to any one item or combination of items in a phrase.

The systems, methods, and devices described herein should not be construed as limiting in any way. Instead, the present invention is directed to all novel and advanced features and aspects of the various disclosed embodiments, singly and in various combinations and sub-combinations with each other. The disclosed systems, methods and devices are not limited to any particular aspect or feature or combinations thereof, and the disclosed systems, methods and devices do not require that any one or more specific advantages exist or problems be solved. No. Techniques from any example may be combined with techniques described in any one or more of the other examples. Any theories of operation are provided to facilitate explanation, but the disclosed systems, methods and devices are not limited to such theories of operation.

Although the operations of some of the disclosed methods have been described in a specific, sequential order for convenience of presentation, unless a specific order is required by specific language to be described later, description in this manner should be understood to include rearrangements. do. For example, operations described sequentially may be rearranged or performed simultaneously as the case may be. Additionally, for simplicity, the accompanying drawings may not represent the various ways in which the disclosed systems, methods and devices may be used with other systems, methods and devices. Additionally, this description sometimes uses terms such as “produce” and “provide” to describe the disclosed methods. These terms are a high-level abstraction of the actual operations performed. The actual operations corresponding to these terms will vary depending on the particular implementation and will be readily recognized by those skilled in the art.

In some examples, a value, procedure, or device may be referred to as “lowest,” “best,” “maximum,” “optimal,” “extreme,” etc. Such descriptions will be understood to indicate that a choice may be made among several or many alternatives, and that such choice need not be less, better, less, or more desirable than other alternatives not considered. In particular, the examples disclosed above generally adjust other parameters based on one or more extreme values of beam focus, working distance, or measured current, but this is not a requirement.

Any operating theory, scientific principles, or other theoretical explanations presented herein in connection with the devices or methods of the present disclosure are provided for better understanding and are not intended to limit the scope. The devices and methods of the appended claims are not limited to those devices and methods functioning in the manner described by this theory of operation.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed technical subject matter can be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are merely preferred examples of the disclosed technical subject matter and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the claims. Rather, the scope of the claimed subject matter is defined by the following claims. Accordingly, we claim everything that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims.

Claims (26)

A cover for one or more cavities, including a first cavity, accessible through an upper surface of a container, the cover comprising:
A rigid member having a planar surface and attached to the rigid member:
first means for limiting movement of the planar surface to sliding over the upper surface; and
A cover comprising second means within the first cavity for restricting movement of an object contained within the cavity. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is restricted by the second means from reaching the gap between the top surface of the container and the planar surface of the rigid member or from flipping from its initial or intended position. , cover. 2. A cover according to claim 1, wherein by said second means a major surface of said object is restricted from extensive contact with said planar surface of said rigid member. 2. Lid according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the planar surface is limited to a linear translation relative to the container by the first means. 5. The lid of claim 4, wherein the first means comprises one or more wrap-around flanges positioned to extend at least partially around the container. 2. A cover according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the planar surface is limited to an azimuthal rotation about a pivot point by the first means. 7. The lid of claim 6, wherein the first means comprises a post positioned to engage an opening in the container or an opening in the rigid member at the pivot point. 2. The lid of claim 1, wherein the first means comprises one or more flanges positioned to engage one or more grooves of the container extending in the direction of sliding. 2. Lid according to claim 1, wherein the first means inhibits movement of the planar surface in an outward vertical direction from the top surface of the container. The lid of claim 1, wherein the slide is limited to a finite range by one or more stops attached to the container or the lid. 2. The lid of claim 1, wherein the second means comprises one or more protrusions. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more protrusions (i) has a longitudinal extent in the sliding direction, and (ii) occupies at least one of the one or more cavities when the lid is in the first sliding position. Located on the ridge, the cover. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the longitudinal extent of the ridge is: greater than the extent to which a given cavity is occupied by the ridge; greater than half the length of the vessel in the direction of sliding; wherein the given cavity is within the range of 90 to 110% times the extent to which the given cavity is occupied by the ridge. 12. The cover of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more protrusions is a stud extending from the cover into a respective cavity of the one or more cavities. 15. The cover of claim 14, wherein when the cover is in the first slidable position, the stud is positioned completely within the lateral extent of each cavity. The lid of claim 1, wherein the rigid member is a plate. The lid of claim 1, wherein the rigid member is at least partially optically translucent or optically transparent. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein each cavity of the one or more cavities is sized to include a lamellar carrier, wherein the transverse extent of each cavity is greater than the corresponding transverse extent of the lamella carrier by a clearance, wherein the clearance is: The cover ranges from 1% to 100% of the corresponding range of the lamellar carrier. As a cover for a container,
a rigid member slidably maintained on the surface of the container;
one or more guides attached to the rigid member and engaged with the container, the one or more guides limiting relative movement of the lid and the container to one direction of sliding; and
A lid attached to the rigid member and comprising one or more protrusions extending into each cavity within the container. 20. The lid of claim 19, wherein the container is a lamellar carrier container. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the surface is a first surface and the rigid member includes a second surface proximate to and conforming to the first surface, and each protrusion of the one or more protrusions is a respective protrusion of the respective protrusions. An object in the cavity (i) making extensive contact with the second surface, (ii) entering the gap between the first surface and the second surface, or (iii) flipping from the initial or intended position. A cover that blocks something from happening. According to clause 19,
a given cavity of the cavity is shaped to limit the azimuthal rotation of an object located within the given cavity;
The object has the shape of a segment of a circle;
the lower surface of the given cavity is formed with a depression to reduce the surface area of the given cavity in contact with the object;
wherein the protrusion has a lower edge shaped to reduce the surface area of the protrusion that may contact the object. As a method,
prior to transport of the container, sliding a lid to cover one or more cavities accessible from an upper surface of the container, the lid being limited to slide in one direction over the upper surface; and
After said transport, retracting said cover to expose said one or more cavities;
A protrusion from the lid into a given cavity of the one or more cavities may cause objects stored within the given cavity to (i) attach to the lid, (ii) enter the gap between the top surface and the lid, or (iii) enter the gap between the top surface and the lid. ) Method for preventing flipping from the initial or intended position. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the object is a lamellar carrier. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising introducing the object into the given cavity prior to said gliding. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising, after said retraction, extracting said object from said given cavity.

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